Eurovision Winners Videos - 1960s 1960s 1969 - Joint Winners! France, Netherlands, Spain, UK The Eurovision Song Contest in 1969 was the first time that the contest resulted in a tie for first place, with four countries each gaining 18 votes. Since there was at the time no rule to cover such an eventuality, all four countries were declared joint winners. Had the later tie-break rule been in place (i.e. the song receiving votes from the most countries, then the song receiving the most high votes in case of another tie), France would have been the overall winner. France - Frida Boccara, "Un Jour, Un Enfant" "Un jour, un enfant" ("A Day, a Child") was one of four winning songs in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969, this one being sung in French by Frida Boccara representing France. The other three winners were Salomé representing Spain with "Vivo cantando", Lulu representing the United Kingdom with "Boom Bang-a-Bang" and Lenny Kuhr representing the Netherlands with "De troubadour".

The song was performed fourteenth on the night, following Germany's Siw Malmkvist with "Primaballerina" and preceding Portugal's Simone de Oliveira with "Desfolhada portuguesa". At the close of voting, it had received 18 points, placing equal first in a field of 16. The song is a classical ballad, describing the wonders of the world as seen by a child. Boccara recorded the song in five languages, French, English (as "Through the Eyes of a Child"), German ("Es schlägt ein Herz für dich", translated: "A Heart Beats for You"), Spanish ("Un día, un niño", translated: "A Day, a Child") and Italian ("Canzone di un amore perduto", translated: "Song of a Lost Love").

Netherlands - Lennie Kuhr, "De Troubadour" "De troubadour" ("The troubadour"), sung in Dutch by Lenny Kuhr representing the Netherlands, was – together with "Boom Bang-a-Bang", "Un jour, un enfant", and "Vivo cantando" from, respectively, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain – one of the four winners of the Eurovision Song Contest 1969. In a ballad inspired both musically and lyrically by folk-song traditions, Kuhr sings about a troubadour of the Middle Ages, describing the impact the music has on his audiences. Kuhr also recorded the song in English (as "The troubadour"), French ("Le troubadour"), German ("Der troubadour"), Italian ("Un canta storie") and Spanish ("El trovador").

The 1969 Contest was controversially held in Madrid, Spain during Francisco Franco's dictatorship; 5 years after the Contest, Kuhr also recorded the song with revised Dutch lyrics, then retitled "De generaal" ("The general"), which was a homage to the Dutch national socker coach Rinus Michaels, who was called "De Generaal" by the players of the Dutch team. The song was performed eighth on the night, following the United Kingdom's Lulu with "Boom Bang-a-Bang" and preceding Sweden's Tommy Körberg with "Judy, min vän". By the close of voting, it had received 18 points, placing it equal first in a field of 16. The Netherlands thus achieved the rare feat of going from (equal) last to (equal) first in the space of one year. Spain - Salome, "Vivo Cantando" "Vivo cantando" (Spanish pronunciation: ['bißo kan'tando], "I Live Singing") was one of four songs which tied for first place in the Eurovision Song Contest 1969.

Performed in Spanish by Salomé for Spain, the song was joint winner with the United Kingdom's "Boom Bang-a-Bang" performed by Lulu, "De troubadour" by Lenny Kuhr representing the Netherlands, and "Un jour, un enfant" sung for France by Frida Boccara. It was Spain's second winning entry in the contest and the last to date. The song is a very up-tempo number, sung from the perspective of a woman telling her lover about the positive changes he has had on her, specifically that she now lives her life singing. Two memorable aspects of the performance were Salomé's costume – a pantsuit covered in long strands of porcelain resembling beads – and the fact that the singer chose to dance on the spot during certain parts of the song. Dancing was against Eurovision Song Contest regulations at the time; Salomé was not penalized, however, as the performers from Ireland and the United Kingdom had done the same that year as well. UK - Lulu, "Boom Bang A Bang" "Boom Bang-a-Bang" was the United Kingdom entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 1969.

It was sung by Lulu, and was co-written by Alan Moorhouse and Peter Warne (the latter also known as Michael Julien). It was the joint winner with three other entries. These entries were Salomé singing "Vivo cantando" for Spain, Lenny Kuhr singing "De troubadour" for the Netherlands and Frida Boccara singing "Un jour, un enfant" for France. The song was the second consecutive entry with a nonsense title to win the contest (after Massiel's triumph in 1968 with "La La La"), and became infamous in the comedy world - most notably inspiring Monty Python's Flying Circus to parody it with "Bing Tiddle-Tiddle Bong" (Python precursor I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again had previously had Bill Oddie do something similar with a song for which the title was rendered entirely in sound effects). Lyrically, the song is a plea from the singer to her lover to "cuddle me tight". She then goes on to explain that "my heart goes boom bang-a-bang boom bang-a-bang when you are near", complete with appropriate musical accompaniment. The single made No.

2 in the UK Singles Chart and was a major hit throughout Europe. The song was succeeded as the winner in 1970 by Dana singing "All Kinds of Everything" for Ireland. Over two decades after its first release, the song was included on a blacklist of banned songs issued by the BBC during the 1991 Gulf War. "Boom Bang-A-Bang" was also the name of a BBC One 1 hour programme made to celebrate 50 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006. Broadcast in Eurovision week, the special was hosted by Sir Terry Wogan and featured archive footage and highlights of past contests, along with a performance of that year's UK entry by Daz Sampson. The song is the theme tune to the 2010 BBC Three sitcom Him & Her. 1968 - Spain Massiel, "La, La, La" "La, la, la" is a song which was performed by the Spanish singer Massiel at the Eurovision Song Contest 1968, winning the contest for Spain in that year. It was the first of Spain's two Eurovision wins to date.

The song was composed by Ramón Arcusa and Manuel de la Calva, otherwise known as the singing duo Dúo Dinámico. Massiel's backing singers, who wore short teal coloured dresses, were (from back to front, tallest to shortest) María Jesús Aguirre, María Dolores Arenas, and Mercedes Valimaña Macaria. Massiel recorded the song in four languages; Spanish, Italian, German, all as "La, la, la", and in English, as "La, la, la (He Gives Me Love)". It was later covered by the Italian singer Mina in Radiotelevisione Italiana's 1968 variety series Canzonissima and by Finnish singer Carola. The band Saint Etienne recorded another cover version, featured on the album A Song for Eurotrash (1998) with English lyrics that differ from the original, referring to the man she is dating instead of the things she is thankful for. The biggest-selling recording of the song, however, was the cover-version, performed in Spanish, by Portuguese fado star Amália Rodrigues.

It was also sung by Alpay, a famous Turkish singer, in Turkish that same year in "Sen Gidince & La La La" 45 rpm. 1967 - United Kingdom Sandy Shaw, "Puppet On A String" "Puppet on a String" is the name of the Eurovision Song Contest-winning song in 1967 by British singer Sandie Shaw. It was her thirteenth UK single release. The song was a UK Singles Chart number one hit on 27 April 1967, staying at the top for a total of three weeks. Shaw had originally performed the song as one of five prospective numbers to represent the United Kingdom in the 1967 Eurovision Song Contest on The Rolf Harris Show. She had never been taken with the idea of taking part in the contest but her discoverer, Adam Faith, had talked her into it, saying it would keep her manager Eve Taylor happy. Taylor wanted to give Shaw a more cabaret appeal and felt that this was the right move - and also felt that it would get Shaw back in the public's good books as she had recently been involved in a divorce scandal.

Of the five songs performed, "Puppet on a String" was Shaw's least favourite. In her own words "I hated it from the very first oompah to the final bang on the big bass drum. I was instinctively repelled by its sexist drivel and cuckoo-clock tune." She was disappointed when it was selected as the song she would use to represent the country, but it won the contest hands down, though it has always been felt that this was partly due to her existing popularity on the continent (she had recorded most of her hit singles in French, Italian, German and Spanish). As a result "Puppet on a String" became her third Number One hit in the UK (a record for a female at the time) and was a big worldwide smash (the biggest selling single of the year in Germany). Shaw also recorded "Puppet on a String" in French ("Un tout petit pantin"), Italian ("La danza delle note"), Spanish ("Marionetas en la cuerda"), and German ("Wiedehopf im Mai").

1966 - Austria Udo Juergens, "Merci Cherie" "Merci, Chérie" ("Thank you, darling") was the winning song in the Eurovision Song Contest 1966. Performed for Austria by Udo Jürgens with lyrics in German -- despite the French words of the title -- it is Austria's only winning song in the contest to date. The song was performed ninth on the night, following Portugal's Madalena Iglésias with "Ele e ela" and preceding Sweden's Lill Lindfors and Svante Thuresson with "Nygammal vals". The final points tally for "Mercie, Chérie" was 31, securing it first place at the head of an 18-entry field. The song was succeeded as contest winner in 1967 by Sandie Shaw singing "Puppet on a String" for the United Kingdom, and as Austrian entry in that year by "Warum es hunderttausend Sterne gibt", performed by Peter Horten. Al Sundström has written the Swedish lyrics. The Swedish title is "Merci Cherie".

Gunnar Wiklund with Nisse Hansén's orchestra recorded it in Stockholm in 1966. The song was released on the EP Sjunger Eurovisionsschlager 1966 (His Master's Voice 7-EGS 726). In 1967, Bent Fabric released an instrumental version of the song on his album Operation Lovebirds. 1965 - Luxembourg France Gall, "Poupee De Cire, Poupee De Son" "Poupée de cire, poupée de son" (English: Doll of wax, doll of sawdust) was the winning entry in the Eurovision Song Contest of 1965. It was performed in French by French singer France Gall, representing Luxembourg. Composed by Serge Gainsbourg, it was the first song to win Eurovision that was not a ballad. It was nominated as one of the fourteen best Eurovision songs of all time at the Congratulations special held in October 2005. As is common with Gainsbourg's lyrics, the words are filled with double meanings, wordplay, and puns.

The title can be translated as "Wax doll, Sawdust doll" (a floppy doll stuffed with sawdust) or as "Doll of wax, Doll of sound" (with implications that Gall is a "singing doll" controlled by Gainsbourg). Sylvie Simmons wrote that the song is about "the ironies and incongruities inherent in baby pop"—that "the songs young people turn to for help in their first attempts at discovering what life and love are about are sung by people too young and inexperienced themselves to be of much assistance, and condemned by their celebrity to be unlikely to soon find out." This sense of being a "singing doll" for Gainsbourg reached a peak when he wrote "Les Sucettes" ("Lollipops") for Gall. The day after her Eurovision victory the single had sold 16,000 copies in France, four months later it had sold more than 500,000 copies.. 1964 - Italy Gigliola Cinquetti, "Non Ho L'eta" "Non ho l'età" ("I'm not old enough") won the Eurovision Song Contest 1964, held in Copenhagen.

It was performed in Italian by Gigliola Cinquetti representing Italy. Like all previous Italian Eurovision entries, the song had also won that year's San Remo Music Festival. Cinquetti was sixteen years old at the time, making her the second youngest Eurovision winner in history after Belgium's Sandra Kim who claimed she was fifteen when she won the contest with "J'aime la vie" in Bergen in 1986 - although it was later revealed that Kim, in fact, was only thirteen. The song was performed twelfth on the night, following Portugal's António Calvário with "Oração" and preceding Yugoslavia's Sabahudin Kurt with "Život je sklopio krug". By the close of voting, it had received 49 points, placing it first in a field of 16.

"Non ho l'età" became a considerable commercial success for Cinquetti, both in Italy, the rest of Continental Europe, Scandinavia and throughout the world; she also recorded the song in English ("This is My Prayer"), Spanish ("No Tengo Edad"), French ("Je suis à toi"), German ("Luna nel blu") and Japanese ("Yumemiru Omoi") and the song has since also been covered by a wide range of artists in other languages. Cinquetti returned to Eurovision in 1974, when she finished second with "Sì" after ABBA's "Waterloo" and in 1991 she co-hosted the contest with Toto Cutugno when it was held in Rome. 1963 - Denmark Grethe and Joergen Ingmann, "Dansevise" "Dansevise" ("Dance ballad") was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1963 performed in Danish by Grethe and Jørgen Ingmann representing Denmark. This was the first entry performed by a duo to win the Contest and also the first Scandinavian winner.

The song was performed eighth on the night, following Finland's Laila Halme with "Muistojeni laulu" and preceding Yugoslavia's Vice Vukov with "Brodovi". At the close of voting, it had received 42 points, thus winning from a field of 16. The song is a moderately up-tempo tune in which the singer hymns the praises of dancing, specifically with her "beloved friend". The song was succeeded as Contest winner in 1964 by Gigliola Cinquetti performing "Non ho l'età" for Italy. It was succeeded as Danish representative at the 1964 Contest by Bjørn Tidmand with "Sangen om dig". The Danish band Outlandish has made a cover of the song called "Kom igen" which is featured in the game FIFA 07. 1962 - France Isabelle Aubret, "Un Premier Amour" "Un premier amour" ("A First Love") was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1962, sung in French by Isabelle Aubret representing France.

The song was performed ninth on the night, following the Netherlands' De Spelbrekers with "Katinka" and preceding Norway's Inger Jacobsen with "Kom sol, kom regn". By the close of voting, it had received 26 points, placing it first in a field of 16. The song is a typically dramatic ballad, with Aubret singing about the power that a first love has over people. 1961 - Luxembourg Jean-Claude Pascal, "Nous Les Amoureux" "Nous les amoureux" ("We, the Lovers" or "Us Lovers") was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1961, performed in French for Luxembourg by French singer Jean-Claude Pascal. The song was performed fourteenth on the night (following Denmark's Dario Campeotto with "Angelique" and preceding the United Kingdom's The Allisons with "Are You Sure?"). By the close of voting, it had received 31 points, placing it first in a field of 16 and thus helping Luxembourg to achieve the rare feat of moving from last to first in successive years.

Due to the contest overrunning in time, the reprise of this song was not shown in the UK. The UK's coverage ended shortly after the voting had finished and the winning song was declared. 1960 - France Jaqueline Boyer, "Tom Pilibi" "Tom Pillibi" was the winning song of the Eurovision Song Contest 1960, sung in French by Jacqueline Boyer. This was France's second victory in the first five years of the Contest. The song was performed thirteenth on the night (following Italy's Renato Rascel with "Romantica"). At the close of voting, it had received 32 points, placing 1st in a field of 13. The song is a moderately up-tempo number, with the singer talking about her lover - the title character. She describes his material wealth (two castles, ships, other women wanting to be with him) before admitting that he has "only one fault", that being that he is "such a liar" and that none of what she had previously said about him was true. Nonetheless, she sings, she still loves him.

In what would become increasingly the norm over Contest history, the English version of the song, while still about the same man, conveyed quite a different impression. In this version, Tom is a compulsive womaniser and not to be trusted at all. Perhaps as a result of this, Des Mangan's book on Contest history confuses the issue further by describing the song as being about "A man with two castles and two boats and who's generally a right bastard, but she still loves him anyway." Boyer also recorded a German language version of the song, under the same title. Ireland: Artists and song details announced | News | Eurovision Song Contest Ireland: Artists and song details announced Kasey - Finalist in EuroSong 2013 Photo: RTE Published 6 Feb 2013 at 13:26 Written by Tweet Dublin, Ireland - The five Irish acts and songs competing to represent Ireland in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest have been confirmed today. In alphabetical order the acts are Zoë Alexis Bohorquez, Ryan Dolan, Aimee Fitzpatrick, Inchequin and Kasey.

The public will get the chance to hear each of the five songs for the first time tomorrow on Mooney on RTÉ Radio 1 from 16:00 CET. Last November RTÉ nominated five mentors with proven experience in the Irish music industry and asked them each to select an act and a song which they believe has the potential to be a Eurovision Song Contest winner. The song titles,composers,artists and mentors are as follows: Kiss Me There composed by Drax. Sung by Kasey and mentored by Mairéad Farrell. Son Kez/The Last Time composed by Hugh O'Neill and Sinead Bradley (Arranged by Tevfik Kulak) Sung by Inchequin and mentored by Shay Healy. Crashing Down composed by Robert Grace. Sung by Aimée Fitzpatrick and mentored by Mark McCabe. Fire composed by Lauren White, Niall Mooney and Willie Weeks. Sung by Zoe Alexis Bohorquez and mentored by Niall Mooney. Only Love Survives composed by Wez Devine and Ryan Dolan. Sung by Ryan Dolan and mentored by Stuart O'Connor.

Check out the Full gallery , Mairéad Farrell and Kasey Mairéad Farrell is a radio and television presenter and a lifelong Eurovision fan. A member of Today FM’s Ray D’Arcy’s radio team, she has also recently presented Celebrity Bainisteoir. Farrell’s chosen act is 22-year-old singer/songwriter Kasey (Smith). At the age of 18 Kasey became a member of Irish girlband Wonderland managed by Louis Walsh and Kian Egan. After writing and recording a top 10 album the band toured with artists such as Olly Murs, Westlife and Boyzone. Recently Kasey went to Nashville to write and record with producers that have worked with artists including Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood and Lady Antebellum. Kasey loves her entry for Eurosong 2013 – Kiss Me There! Farrell said, “Being asked to be a Eurosong mentor by RTÉ was a like asking a massive football fan if they’d like to manage their favourite team. I jumped at the opportunity. It’s been such a huge learning experience; I’ve loved every minute of it.

The icing on the Euro cake would be for my act Kasey to win on February the 22nd.” Shay Healy and Inchequin Shay Healy is a writer and performer who won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1980 with his song What’s Another Year sung by Johnny Logan. He is also known for his work as a television presenter, in particular the popular Nighthawks programme which he presented on RTÉ from 1988 to 1993. Inchequin are Sinead Bradley (tin whistle, mandolin and vocals), Hugh O’Neill (lead vocal, electric and acoustic guitars and mandolin), Selin Turkoglu (lead vocals and backing vocals) Ayda Tuncboyaciyan (violin and vocals) and Tevfik Kulak (trumpet, keyboards, bass, drums and vocals). Hugh O’Neill is from Lurgan and Sinead Bradley is from Maghera. Sinead and Hugh have been playing and writing songs for over 19 years. They have toured extensively in over 19 countries. They have made six albums of original songs and tunes.

In 2009 Hugh and Sinead decided to move to Gumusluk, a Turkish fishing village where they met the other three members of Inchequin. Tevfik Kulak is a top trumpet/piano session and live performer and has played with the likes of Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Pavarotti, Jose Carreras, Montserrat Caballe and Sarah Brightman. Tevfik is also a member of the Istanbul State Orchestra. Selin Turkoglu is a film actor and was a television presenter for many years but her passion is singing. Selin has Irish connections with an Irish step dad and two half Irish brothers. Ayda Tuncboyaciyan is famous in her own right in Turkey as a superb violinist. Her father Onno Tunç was a household name in Turkey as one of its most famous composers and wrote many of Ayda’s stepmother Sezen Aksu’s hit songs. Sezen Aksu is the most successful artist Turkey has ever produced with over 40,000,000 record sales worldwide. Inchequin have also been working on a soundtrack for a Turkish- Irish film project called The Famine.

The screenplay details the story of how the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire in 1847 sent three ships full of food and £10,000 to help the starving people in Ireland. Healy said, “I was looking for a song that would be simple enough to sing at any gathering and Son Kez fits the bill perfectly. From the U2 sound-alike jangling guitars opening, to the winning combination of Turkish and Irish whistle and fiddles, played á la Riverdance, the song delivers the best of both Irish and Turkish cultures and a very strong narrative lyric gives the song overall the infectious power and rhythm of a lively Irish ballad Mark McCabe and Aimée Fitzpatrick Mark McCabe is a Radio DJ and music producer, in 2000 he had a hit single with Maniac 2000 which remains one of Ireland’s biggest selling records of all time. McCabe has chosen Aimée Marguerite Fitzpatrick as his act. Recording under the name Aimée, she’s an Irish recording artist and dance performer from Swords. Only 17, she has garnered the affections of a legion of fans from her YouTube videos, where she performs her own adaptations of well-known popular chart songs by artists who inspire her.

Over the past three months her YouTube channel has seen over half a million viewers from a loyal fanbase. Her most recent recording had over 120,000 views in less than 72 hours! Aimée is also an accomplished All Ireland Champion dancer and choreographer and teaches at the renowned Backstreet Dance Studios. There she has honed her skills alongside the likes of Khasan Brailford (Beyonce, J-Lo, Rihanna, Kylie Minogue); Laura Edwards (Justin Bieber, Britney Spears) and Jae Fuzz (Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj); among many others. She has danced in various musicals and lately has performed with Ireland's previous entrants Jedward. Aimée has been attracting growing interest from major record labels in Ireland, the UK and USA. The single Crashing Down was written by Irish songwriter Robert Grace. McCabe said, "As soon as I heard Aimée singing this song, I knew straight away it was what I was looking for. We've lost our way with the Eurovision over the last few years. Aimée and this song bring it right back to what it’s all about. Not glitz, not glam nor production. It’s about the song.

At just 17, I have no doubt Aimée has a massive career ahead of her. Her distinct vocal ability is of an international standard, and this song is just the start of things to come. She is a star". Niall Mooney and Zoe Bohorquez Niall Mooney is a songwriter and producer based in Galway. He has had previous Eurosong success, co-writing Ireland’s 2009 entry Etcetera performed by Sinead Mulvey and Black Daisy and Ireland’s 2010 entry It’s For You performed by Eurovision winner Niamh Kavanagh. Mooney has chosen Zoë Bohorquez as his act. Zoë grew up in Mullingar where she spent much of her childhood immersing herself in the arts and honing her craft. While attending Loreto College Secondary School Zoë enrolled in a local dance group, attended drama school and was a frequent face in the local musical productions. The hometown connection was truly evident as Zoë went on to tour Ireland for various events and concerts sharing the stage with friend and superstar Niall Horan of One Direction, with whom Zoë grew up.

Zoë's youthful ambition and talent also caught the attention of The Voice of Ireland judge Niall Breslin. Zoë successfully recorded her first song with Bressie, while a member of Irish Girl group UnderGrounD and together were successfully awarded Best New Girl Group in 2010 at The Irish Entertainment Awards. In time major interest was shown both at home and overseas, but it was across the Atlantic where Zoë was scouted by Grammy award-winning songwriter and producer Timbaland. The future remains both bright and busy for Zoë as she is a second year running ambassador for The Share A Dream Foundation, was recently chosen by former Miss World and Miss Universe winner Rosanna Davison as 2013 Diva Next Door Calendar Girl and has been placed in the sights of super producer Afrojack with whom she has a future project currently in the works. Mooney said, “As soon as I met Zoë I knew this could be Ireland’s next big pop star. She is the complete package and perfect for the contest. Zoë is also one of the hardest working and most pleasant people I have ever worked with.

Mullingar has always been at the heart of Irish pop music with Joe Dolan, Bressie and Niall Horan and I believe Zoë is the next big chapter in that story. If Ireland decides to send Zoë to Sweden, with a fair wind and bit of luck, I believe she can go all the way. I hear a lot of people say Ireland can never win the contest again. I don’t believe that’s true and when you see Zoë I’m hoping you’ll believe me.” Stuart O'Connor and Ryan Dolan Stuart O’Connor is a director of Spotlight Productions and is one of Ireland’s top producers and choreographers.He is the man behind the successful Jedward pantos and all Jedward's live tours in the last three years. He devised the performance of Waterline at last years’ Eurovision. He recently produced and directed The Best of Eurovision Show with six previous winners Johnny Logan, Linda Martin, Niamh Kavanagh, Dana, Charlie McGettigan and Paul Harrington. O'Connor has chosen Ryan Dolan a young singer-songwriter from Strabane as his act. Ryan is the only songwriter performing his own composition Only Love Survives.

He has played support to many acts over the years including Tinchy Stryder, Jedward and many more. Ryan has been described as one of the most exciting homegrown musical talents to be discovered in Ireland in recent years. His YouTube channel has received over 800,000 hits. Ryan has teamed up with music producer and composer Wez Devine. Wez is a 34-year-old songwriter/producer originally from Malahide, now based in Lifford,. They are hopeful that their latest composition Only Love Survives will make it to Malmö for the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest and bring the title back to Ireland for the eighth time. O’Connor said, “As soon as I discovered I was going to be a mentor I was determined that given the opportunity I would send an Irish singer/songwriter to Malmö this year. I was delighted to receive a large volume of songs from all around the world but as soon as I heard Only Love Survives I knew this was it - it ticked all the boxes.

I immediately set about gathering a full Irish team including backing vocals by Leanne Moore and percussion by Nicky Bailey founder of Extreme Rhythm who has performed with Riverdance and most recently on X Factor with Kelly Clarkson. The result is a modern song with an Irish vibe that will appeal to audiences across Europe.” The winning act will be selected on Eurosong 2013 on The Late Late Show on Friday the 22nd of February As was the case last year, Ireland’s entry will be selected by a combination of public and regional jury vote. Ireland will be competing in Semi-Final One on Tuesday the 14th of May. Which song do you think will end up representing Ireland? How to win the Eurovision song contest How to win the Eurovision song contest Performing well in the 21st century’s biggest live music competition requires strategy and nous Sat, May 10, 2014, 11:03 Karen Fricker Conchita Wurst is making a special appearance at The George on Friday June 27th.

Photograph: Ragnar Singsaas/Getty Images Thursday night’s relegation was a big disappointment, and we salute Kasey Smith and Can-Linn for a valiant effort. But Ireland lost its Eurovision mojo long before this year. Performing well in the 21st century’s biggest live music competition programme requires strategy and nous. Some of tonight’s performances have this in spades. Here’s what we can learn: 1. Do something unprecedented. We’ve had drag acts in Eurovision before. Dana International, who won for Israel in 1998, is transgendered. But we’ve never had a drag queen with a beard before – particularly not one fronting a superlative Euro-power ballad. Conchita Wurst may well bring Eurovision victory to Austria for the first time since 1966, and her song Rise like a Phoenix is charting in 31 countries around Europe . Bookmakers’ odds: 2nd place Spot in the running order: 11th What we can learn: You gotta have a gimmick. 2. Hire real artists and listen to them. Before Tuesday’s semi-final the Common Linnets were unknown.

Now they’re (along with Wurst) the contest’s big buzz. Solo Dutch country music singers Ilse de Lange and Waylon, who are old friends, were approached separately by the Dutch broadcaster to sing in Eurovision. “We were having breakfast in Nashville, and we said hey, lightbulb! We should we do this together,” says de Lange. The broadcaster agreed, and a duo was born. The risky choice to sing to each other rather than outwards towards the audience was also their idea. The result is Calm after the Storm, an intimate number that stands out from all the others (see no. 1 above) and might well be our winner. Bookmakers’ odds: 3rd place Place in the running order: 23rd What we can learn: Artists are smart. 3. Staging is crucial. Let’s face it: Ireland’s act looked a mess on Thursday night. Too much going on, no real relationship between the different elements: it was as if the song, the staging, and the camerawork were fighting with each other and nobody won. For a lesson in how to create a coherent, camera-friendly package, look no further than top-rated Sanna Nielsen from Sweden . Great song? Check.

Gorgeous, confident singer? Check. Uber-dramatic lighting effects that convey the meaning of the song? Check. Camerawork to complement and highlight all of the above? Check. Undo may redo the country’s 2012 success and bring Sweden its sixth Eurovision victory. ADVERTISEMENT Spot in the running order: 13th What we can learn: Teamwork, people! 4. Send in the clowns. Circus skills are this year’s big Eurovision staging fad. Ukraine’s Tick Tock plays out a romantic pursuit on a human-sized hamster wheel; Russian twins sing Shine on a giant see-saw; Azerbaijan’s otherwise rather snoozy Start a Fire features a comely trapeze artist. But surely it’s Greece who are having the most fun with acrobatics this year: I’ll not spoil it for those who didn’t watch the semi-final, but keep your eyes on the stripey box behind the rappers singing Rise Up. This trend didn’t come from nowhere: in the performing arts world, circus has grown increasingly fashionable and innovative over the last ten years. The larger point: successful Eurovision acts channel the broader culture.

Bookmakers’ odds for Greece: 9th place Spot in the running order: 10th What we can learn: Bouncy castles aren’t just for kids. 5. A comeback is always possible. There’s been few countries more out-of-step with Eurovision trends in recent years than the United Kingdom : their songs and artists ( Engelbert Humperdinck , Bonnie Tyler) literally came from a different era. But this year the UK pulled up their socks, turned on the radio, and fashioned a perfectly credible Eurovision performance around a singer, Molly Smitten-Downes, who sounds more than a bit like Lorde. Raise your lighters to the hipster-chic Children of the Universe, which closes off tonight’s competition! Bookmakers’ odds: 5th place Spot in the running order: 26th What we can learn: Woganesque cynicism is a self-fulfilling prophecy. There is another way.

BBC - Eurovision facts and figures - Media Centre The Eurovision Song Contest 2012 Engelbert Humperdinck to sing Love Will Set You Free Eurovision facts and figures The first ever Eurovision Song Contest took place on the 24th of May, 1956, in Lugano, Switzerland In 54 years, over 1,200 songs have competed in the Eurovision Song Contest Dutch conductor Dolf van der Linde conducted for seven different countries (Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland) Johnny Logan won the Eurovision Song Contest three times. In 1980 and 1987 he represented Ireland as performer and won both times, in 1992 he wrote Linda Martin's winning entry Why Me Poland made the most impressive debute in 1994, when Edyta Gorniak came 2nd with To Nie Ja, closely followed by Serbia's victory in 2007. Although Serbia & Montenegro was represented twice before, it was the first time that Serbia took part as an independent country Norway can be found at the bottom of the list as many as ten times.

They came last in 1963, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1990, 1997, 2001 and 2004. They also won three times (in 1985, 1995 and 2009) Ireland won a record 7 times, Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom 5 times. Sweden and the Netherlands won 4 times. ABBA is the most successful Eurovision Song Contest winner. The Swedish pop band won the contest in 1974. In 2001, the largest audience ever attended the Eurovision Song Contest. Almost 38,000 people gathered at Copenhagen's Parken Stadium. The most covered Eurovision Song Contest song is Domenico Modugno's Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu, also known as Volare. The song has been covered by stars Frank Sinatra, Cliff Richard and David Bowie. Televoting was introduced in 1997 In 2004, the first televised Eurovision Song Contest semi-final took place.

In 2008, a second semi-final was introduced. Recently, the contest was won by Greece (2005), Finland (2006), Serbia (2007), Russia (2008) Norway (2009), Germany (2010) and Azerbaijan (2011). In 2007, 90 million people saw the Eurovision Song Contest, in 2008 105 million people tuned in. In 2009, 125 million people watched the competition and over 10 million phone and SMS votes were cast for the Eurovision Song Contest. Most winning songs were performed in English - songs (mostly) in English won 22 times. French is also popular with 14 victories, Dutch and Hebrew songs won 3 times each. Baku After Ell and Nikki took the title for Azerbaijan last year, the contest travels to the city of Baku. Baku, also known as Baky or Bakı, is the largest city in the Caucasus and is the capital of Azerbaijan.

It is situated on the western coast of the Caspian Sea and the population of the city is now around 3.7 million. The Eurovision Song contest will take place in Baku’s Crystal Arena, which for this event has a seating capacity of over 16,000. Participating countries United Kingdom Contest highlights 1955 - The concept of the Eurovision Song Contest was the brainchild of EBU Director Marcel Bezençon 1956 - The first Eurovision Song Contest took place in Lugano, Switzerland, on the 24th of May 1958 - Italy’s Domenico Modugno finishes 3rd with Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu, better known as Volare. It would become the most covered song in the history of Eurovision 1964 - A demonstrator manages to reach the stage during the live broadcast. Unfortunately, there is no archive material of the 1964 contest 1968 - The first ever Eurovision Song Contest broadcast in colour 1969 - A controversial outcome, as Spain, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and France all finish first 1974 - ABBA wins for Sweden.

They would become the most successful Eurovision Song Contest winners ever 1975 - A new voting system is being introduced. Each country gives 1 to 8, 10 and 12 points to its top-10 1977 - The contest has to be postponed from April to May due to a strike of camera men at the BBC 1979 - Israel wins the contest for the second time in a row 1980 - Previous year’s winner Israel could not host the contest and the Netherlands offered to take over the production. The Eurovision Song Contest celebrates its 25th anniversary 1986 - 13-year old Sandra Kim, who earlier claimed to be 15, wins for Belgium. It would be the youngest winner ever. Luxembourg’s entry L'amour De Ma Vie is the 500th song at the Eurovision Song Contest since 1956 1987 - Johnny Logan, wins the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland for the second time 1988 - Canadian singer Céline Dion wins for Switzerland. 1993 - Representatives from seven countries compete in a regional qualification for three open slots at the contest.

As a result, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Slovenia and Croatia took part for the first time 1994 - As many as seven new countries take part: Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia 1997 - Ireland hosts the contest after winning for the third time in four years. The first experiments with televoting take place 1998 - Dana International sparks controversy, being the first transsexual to win the contest 1999 - For the first time, there is no orchestra at the Eurovision Song Contest 2001 - A record 38,000 people attended the contest at Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium 2002 - For the first time, the Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Eastern Europe, as Estonia hosts the event 2004 - For the first time ever, a televised semi-final takes place in the lead up to the Eurovision Song Contest. A new, generic logo is introduced 2005 - In a spectacular live show from Copenhagen, Europe celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Eurovision Song Contest.

ABBA’s Waterloo is chosen as best Eurovision Song Contest song from the past 50 years 2006 - Finland wins the contest after waiting for victory a record 45 years. Ireland’s Brian Kennedy performs the 1,000th song at the Eurovision Song Contest since 1956 2008 - For the first time, two semi-finals take place in the lead up to the final. A new record of 43 countries is represented 2009 - Some 124 million viewers tune in, and cast a record 10 million votes by phone and SMS. Professional juries are reintroduced in the final. They have a 50 percent stake in the outcome 2010 - Alexander Rybak’s Fairytale turns out to be the biggest pan-European hit since Love Shine A Light in 1997 2011 - Lena, the winner of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest, decided to defend her title on home ground - something only two people have done in the history of the contest

Question: Who was the first singer to win the Eurovision Song Contest for Ireland?
Answer: DANA